Some were too old, some were too young, some weren't right for Boston, some weren't worth the money, not one of them ever held the job or the future of the job with any sort of authority.

All of that is poised to change with the arrival of Xander Bogaerts.

Even the most cynical of baseball fans would have to admit that Bogaerts is, in all likelihood, a future major league player, and probably a very good one at that.

He's navigated the many levels of professional baseball's minor league maze in a stunningly quick ascent.

In 2010, he was a scrawny 17-year-old who tore up the Dominican Summer League.

Three summers later, he's a lanky -- but muscular -- 20-year-old who has already played in, and conquered the Sally League, Low-A ball, High-A ball, Double-A ball and Triple-A ball as well.

Bogaerts made his Triple-A debut just a few months ago, and after 60 games he showed an ability to replicate the same sort of success he's had all through the minors.

That success is a player who hits for power, but not prolific power. The Xander Bogaerts of the future could hit 30 home runs in a season, but 40 seems unlikely.

What does seem likely is a batting average between .280 and .300, a knack for extra-base hits, be they doubles, triples or home runs. He also showcases an ability to get on base, as well as score and drive in runs.

That makes him unlike anyone in recent Red Sox shortstop history.

Yes, Marco Scutaro could hit, and Jose Iglesias had a glove worth remembering. Orlando Cabrera was great for the three months he played in Boston, and Jed Lowrie swings a nice bat as well.

Not one of them offers up the package that Bogaerts does, and very few players have ever offered up that type of package in the majors at the age of 20.

With Manny Machado having an MVP-type of season in Baltimore, it can be easy to forget just how unique a prospect Bogaerts is.

Baseball fans are blessed to be able to enjoy the talents of young phenoms such as Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, Machado and pitcher Jose Hernandez right now.

These players are exceptions to baseball normalcy, not rules. The fact that they're all here at such a young age is something to appreciated, not taken for granted.

Bogaerts may very well be that type of player.

The list of former Red Sox shortstops is a lot of things, but one thing it isn't is limited.

There are really only two ways that Bogaerts doesn't become the Red Sox starting shortstop for the foreseeable future.

First, there's the unlikely -- but still real -- chance that he's just not that good. Yes, Trout, Harper, and Machado have all met or exceeded their lofty expectations, but that doesn't mean Bogaerts will as well.

Then there's the chance that Bogaerts could be asked to change positions. That possibility seems a lot more remote with Igleisas now practicing his defensive wizardry in Detroit.

Will Middlebrooks' successful return to the majors makes third base an all but foregone conclusion in 2014, and beyond.

The Red Sox have 2012's first round draft pick Deven Marrero in the minors, but it would seem more likely that Marrero would be asked to change positions than an incumbent Bogaerts.

How and where Bogaerts fits into the team's 2013 plans is certainly up in the air.

If he makes a spectacular debut, and presents himself as a player that the Red Sox absolutely had to have in their lineup, then the team might be forced to undergo some changes, that's not the ultimate plan though.

For now, enjoy Bogaerts for what he is: a uniquely young talent who plays a coveted position, and has a very bright future.

Also enjoy what Bogaerts isn't. He isn't past-his-prime, afraid to play in Boston, overpaid, a short-term solution to a longterm problem or injury prone.

He's Xander Bogaerts, the future and for tonight, present starting shortstop for the Boston Red Sox.